Päntsdrunk (Kalsarikänni): The Finnish Path to Relaxation

by Miska Rantanen

Danes have hygge.  Swedes have lagom.  But the Finns have the best - "kalsarikänni" or päntsdrunk – drinking at home, alone, in your underwear.

When it comes to happiness rankings, Finland always scores near the top.  Many Finnish phenomena set the bar high: the best education system, gender equality, a flourishing welfare state, sisu or bull-headed pluck.  Behind all of these accomplishments lies a Finnish ability to stay calm, healthy and content in a riptide of endless tasks and temptations.  The ability comes from the practice of "kalsarikänni" translated as päntsdrunk.

Peel off your clothes down to your underwear.  Place savory or sweet snacks within reach alongside your bed or sofa.  Make sure your television remote control is nearby along with any and all devices to access social media.  Open your preferred alcohol. Your journey toward inner strength, higher quality of life, and peace of mind has begun.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Humor, Finnish Literature, Personal Development, Lifestyle, Audiobook

176 pages, Hardcover

First published June 5, 2018

About the author

Miska Rantanen is a Finnish journalist and author of nonfiction. He works for the largest Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and specializes in popular culture, politics and digital media.

Reviews

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Päntsdrunk seemed fairly straight-forward to me. To keep your cool, occasionally you should take a page out of the Finnish playbook and put on your most comfy underwear, grab your favorite alcoholic beverage and chill out. But then Miska Rantanen had to write something to fill up the rest of the pages. There was quite a lot of filler material.

Päntsdrunk doesn't demand over-the-top arrangements. Affordability and democracy are its hallmarks. It's quick acting and suitable for all who have reached the age of majority." pg 16

Rantanen talks about how Finland developed this coping mechanism from a couple of different factors: freezing weather, long distances between cities and towns, and very little sunlight near the winter solstice.

"The Finnish term kalsarikanni is a simple compound word: kalsari (underwear) + kanni (state of inebriation). This pithy idiom crystallizes the essential: at its simplest, pantsdrunk means imbibing alcohol in one's underwear at home without any intention of going out. The term's ingenuity lies in everything it doesn't imply." pg 21

But pantsdrunk practitioners don't have to stay in or solitary. You can drink as a couple, with friends, with a couple of friends. As the night wears on, you can go from pantsdrunk to plus pants at the club or bar, if the mood lends itself that way. The trick is to go with the flow of the evening and enter a state of total relaxation.

"As a philosophy, pantsdrunk is not in conflict with lagom and hygge. Au contraire. They all spring from the same Nordic origins and share the same ultimate goals: optimal peace of mind, joie de vivre, comfort, equilibrium, and recuperation as embodied in a snug coziness." pg 22

Pantsdrunk is not about getting blasted as fast as possible. It's a slow slide into mellow.

"At its most minimal, pantsdrunk is a device for balancing life and work. It can, however, be expanded into a lifestyle and worldview. The beauty of pantsdrunk lies in its possibilities." pg 27

I'm not sure about some of the statistics Rantanen cites in his book, but he claims Finland is one of the stablest, safest, most educated countries in the world. And he credits the practice of pantsdrunk with part of this fantastic result.

Heidi, you may say, what could your problem be with pantsdrunk? Anyone who has dealt with an alcoholic can easily point out the potential roadblocks to happiness with this. Also, there's addiction issues to consider. None of which can be dealt with if you're indulging in this behavior by yourself and aren't aware there's a problem.

Rantanen does say that if pantsdrunk becomes a conscious choice every day to deal with stresses, that a reshuffling of your life may be in order. He also suggests counting bottles or cans to keep tabs on how much you're consuming. Or gauging how well you've managed to balance drunk and relaxed by your hangover the next day.

I'm not entirely convinced this is possible. Rantanen also talks about how pantsdrunk has gotten a bad rap with some films depicting people drinking in their underwear alone as sad and pathetic rather than empowered and relaxed.

One of the most uplifting performances (of pantsdrunk) can be seen during the credits of Bridget Jones Diary (Maguire 2001), when Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) belts out the quintessential pajama playback solo while sloshed on red wine. pg 76.

But wasn't that one of her lowest points?

Recommended for brave readers over 21 who mostly have their lives together, but need to allow themselves to chill out now and then.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5

Pantsdrunk: Kalsarikanni: The Finnish Path to Relaxation by Miska Rantanen is a very peculiar little book. You kind of just get thrown into this thing that is pantsdrunk without really knowing what is going to happen.

Pantsdrunk is a Finnish relaxation technique (that I had never heard of), which to us here in the US is basically hanging out in your comfiest clothes or underwear and having a couple of drinks while listening to music, reading, or just hanging out. Pantsdrunk is usually done alone, but it can also be done with a friend or two. The point of pantsdrunk isn't to get drunk either and you aren't supposed to have a hangover in the morning. Nor should you be partaking in pantsdrunk every night because if you are that is the sign of a problem.

I enjoyed learning all about the pantsdrunk technique and it was a pretty entertaining little book. Definitely not something I would normally read, but fun nevertheless. Plus the cover is so pretty and really gives you the feel of what pantsdrunk looks like. There are also some fun little statistics and polls that I enjoyed.

Final Thought: I think you would categorize this book as satirical nonfiction, but I'm not positive so don't quote me on that. I think this would be a good choice for someone looking for something short that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Pantsdrunk in 3-ish words: Light, Entertaining, Easy-to-Read

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

After all the books about Danish hygge, and Swedish lagom, we have this pretty funny book that is set up to appear to mirror all the seriousness of the books about the above. “The Finnish Path to Relaxation,” Miska Rantanen educates us, is to go home, get comfortably dressed, make several drinks for yourself, and get "kalsarikänni" translated as päntsdrunk.

We know Finns are happy; the best school system, gender equality. They stay calm and content in the face of any challenge. How they do it: Päntsdrunk.

Selections from 100 reasons to consider achieving the high inner state of Päntsdrunk:

37. You have to go to work tomorrow
38. You don’t have to go to work tomorrow.
39. It’s Saturday tomorrow.

And so on.

It’s too long, could have been done in half the time, but it’s worth a few smiles. Includes testimonials on how it changed lives, as with the hygge and lagom books.

“More than once, downing three or four beers has led me listening to my music in a reverential stupor. . . Solitary inebriation leaves no room for self-criticism.”

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Finnish keep it real. Danish hygge is an Instagram worthy planned, pruned, and posed level of coziness. Kalsari (underwear) + känni (state of inebriation) is the Finnish version for the rest of us mere mortals. Just relax, have a drink, and maybe belt out some tunes!


Note: if you want this bit of fun use the kindle version. The book is cute but you need two hands to hold the blasted thing open.

[Kirsti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pleasant yet overly padded, much like a couch on which one could get päntsdrunk.

[Coral · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny spoof of those annoying lifestyle books out there that promise if you adopt their method of doing something (organizing your house, exercising...you name it) that you will be happier. A new you!

This is very dry satire - in fact, I imagine there are some people who won't realize that it's satire until the very end (or maybe not at all). A very quick, enjoyable read.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's Wednesday. It's raining. It's time to get päntsdrunk.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, especially since I enjoyed The Little Book of Hygge so much. There were a few interesting things to read about and I realize my husband and I do enjoy Kalsarkianni at least every few weeks, but overall it could have been shorter by half and had more information. Oh well.

[Fhina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jetzt hab ich direkt Heimweh nach Helsinki 😭❤️

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beschreibung 
Die Dänen lieben Hygge, kuscheln sich gerne gemütlich ein und trinken literweise heiße Schokolade. Da das ziemlich auf die Hüften geht, haben die Schweden das etwas moderatere Lagom erfunden. Ein bisschen Schoki, aber nicht zu viel davon. So richtig viel Spaß macht Mäßigung dann aber doch nicht, weswegen die Finnen nun mit Kalsarikänni durchstarten, was so viel bedeutet wie: sich allein zu Hause in Unterwäsche betrinken. Bei diesem sensationellen Wohlfühltrend aus dem coolen Norden geht es darum, sich all die hoffnungslos verplanten Abende zurückzuerobern, die man sonst mit Besuchen im Fitnessstudio, miesen Dates, langweiligen Familienfeiern oder gar im Büro gefüllt hat. Canceln Sie das alles. Gehen Sie heim, ziehen Sie sich den unbequemen Anzug aus und kippen Sie in Ruhe einen: Entspannter werden Sie nie sein. Der finnische Kalsarikänni-Experte Miska Rantanen zeigt Ihnen, wie es geht! 

Kurzmeinung 
Eine kleine, witzige Lektüre, bei der man sich gelegentlich bestätigt fühlt. Aufgelockert wird der Text durch Schaubilder, Statistiken und Zitaten, die generell Finnland und die finnische Kultur zum Inhalt haben. Es ist keine große Literatur aber wenn man sich nach Feierabend auf nichts anderes mehr konzentrieren kann, kann man, mit einem Glas Wein in der einen Hand und diesem Büchlein in der anderen, den Abend auch ohne großen Anspruch rum bekommen. 

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

У будь-якій незрозумілій ситуації - вдягай кальсони, сиди вдома на дивані і пий. Бо калсарік'янні якраз це і означає. Фінський варіант хюґе, який не надто відрізняється від того, що звикли робити люди по всьому світу після важкого дня. Тому не зовсім зрозуміло, нащо про такі очевидні речі писати. Хоча, всередині хюґе теж нічого незвичайного, але післясмак лишається приємний, на відміну від калсарік'янні. Його основний посил - це те, що ти нічого не плануєш, а просто будеш втикати в телевізор з бокалом вина чи пляшкою пива - відповідно, ти не можеш розчаруватися від того, що плани твої не здійсняться. Ідеально! Хоча, автор пише, що можна калсарік'янити й активно - прибирати в квартирі чи от в'язати, наприклад. Словом, це просто приємне й ненапряжне часопроведення, ми всі це вміємо й практикуємо. Якби я читала цю книгу, певно б просто прогортала її. А в аудіо можна й послухати, стиль легкий, місцями смішно, як от про фінське літо, коротке і малосніжне, як кажуть фіни.

[Jay French · Rating 2 out of 5]

This moment’s “The Preppy Handbook”. A take off on Scandanavian living memes recently popular in books. This book was humorous in style but not in substance – I smiled at the title and at how the book was organized, but not so much at the actual content. It is all about sitting in your underwear and drinking. All about it. And even more about it. I listened on audio. Probably not the best choice for this book, given other reviews pointing out the positive aspects of the feel of the paper in the dead tree version.

Those Finns…

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma sain tänu sellele raamatule kinnitust, et ma ajan elus õiget asja. Hygge & lagom on küll kenad, aaaaaagaaaaa... :D

[Nate Hawthorne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically this book allows you to get comfy, drink alone, and not feel guilty. Not sure how scientific it is, but Finns are notoriously happy. Easy read and visually pleasing. Now where's my beer.

[Rui · Rating 2 out of 5]

wanted a book on finnish culture and randomly came across this. turns out that week i tried to speedrun alcholism (unsuccessfully) last year was just kalsarikanni

[Teija Lento]

Aina joskus tulee hetkiä, jolloin hygge ja lagom eivät vaan riitä vaan tarvitaan kalsarikänni!
Nyt kyllä unohdetaan sisusta jauhaminen ulkomaalaisille. 2000-luvun paras suomalaisia ja suomalaisuutta kuvaava käsite on kalsarikänni. Lähes jokainen suomalainen tunnistaa termin ja ymmärtää se syvimmän sisällön. Ei kirja suomalaiselle lukijalle annakaan mitään uutta. Toki kirja on äärimmäisen viihdyttävästi kirjoitettu, mutta sen suurin ansio lienee sen kansainvälisissä meriiteissä. Kalsarikänni (lausutaan Washington Post lehden mukaan ”cal-sar-y-cuhn-eet”, englanniksi termi on pantsdrunk) on ilmiönä ikivanha ja varmasti tunnettu muuallakin kuin Suomessa, mutta ilmiöksi asia lähti kehittymään, kun Suomi vuonna 2017 julkaisi kalsarikänni-emojin. Kalsarikänni emoji täydensi alun perin vuonna 2015 julkaistua Suomi-emojit kuvasarjaa. Asialla oli ulkoministeriön maakuvayksikkö (kuulostaa muuten kovasti Knalli ja sateenvarjo -kuunnelmasta tutuksi tulleelta ministeriön Erikoisosastolta).

http://vintagentti.blogspot.com/2018/...

[Fred Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I thought was a joke appears to be a national pastime in Finland, right up there with saunas and cellphones. There was surprisingly a lot of interesting facts thrown in - with Finland being one of the happiest countries in the world as well as the origin of the Linux platform. I was also introduced to the concept of "bagged beer" excursions, and I can't help but be a little envious of these Nordic citizens who also enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. Of course that's what happens when you don't spend such a large portion of your country's wealth on a bloated defense budget and paying interest on a crippling debt. But I digress. All in all, this was a fun read and worth the short time it takes to finnish. (pun intended)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best Nordic-life inspired book I've read! The art of Pantsdrunk is something I've been doing for years now, and I'm so glad it has an official name. This book was funny and marvelous. I will be recommending it to everyone, forever.

[kris b.c. · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. a quick easy read about mindful relaxation. it's fun and unassuming but I'm glad I didn't pay for it.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book giving you ideas (and permission) to sit on the couch in your undies!

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ise poleks ma taibanud sellist raamatut kuskilt otsima minna, aga õnneks on olemas sõbrad, kes teavad raamatuid ja oskavad neid soovitada.

Pidulikus elustiiliraamatu võttes analüüsitakse, mis on soomlaste hygge ja lagom, mis aitab neil lõõgastuda või lihtsalt karmides tingimustes ellu jääda, aga igal juhul teeb meele rõõmsaks ja kindlustab hingerahu (võib-olla isegi olümpiamedalid ja SKP). Lühidalt on juttu pesuväel (või muus sobivalt napis ja mugavas riietuses) napsutamise kunstist. Lugeja saab täpselt teada, mida, kuidas, kus ja kellega. Keel on lustakas, tõlge imeline.

Kui meeldib tõsine soome huumor, mis on natuke parketikõlbulikum kui “Joodiku päevaraamat”, siis tasub ette võtta ja ühe soojaga läbi lugeda. Mõjub pärast pikka päeva kosutavalt.

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole book doesn't tell you anything more than the title.

But I had a beer and some snacks while reading it, so I guess it was fine.

[Katie Bliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly entertaining book about how to de-stress by having an adult beverage or two and vegging out with social media or the television and salty/sweet snacks from time to time. You'd think this would be pretty basic advice, but there IS a right and wrong way to do it, and there are people who don't do this, and they're basically missing out.

"The leitmotif of pantsdrunk is meaningful meaninglessness. When you start and end at zero, the tiniest achievement counts as a victory. Winning is easy, losing is hard."

[Maaria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Selline mitte just tüüpiline raamat, mida otsast-lõpuni läbi loeks. Pigem selline käsiraamat või ajaviiteraamat, mida vahel sirvida ja miskit lugeda. Aga täiesti mõistetav, miks Soomlased maailmas ühed rahulolevaimad ja õnnelikumad inimesed on - oskavad olla ja "vabaks lasta" ja nautida :D

[Natalie Cranberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Päntsdrunk is one of the funniest self help books I've ever read. It is shameless and delightful. It is a philosophy that encourages "spontaneous bathing, belching, intent nose-picking, air guitar-playing, singing, leisurely masturbating, flatulating, talking to yourself, or screaming into a pillow" (page 31). That is the kind of realness that I wanted to be served. As wonder as it is to be told to exercise and journal everyday it is also wonderful to have the beauty in my disgusting habits praised on occasion.

Before you go off thinking that this book is just for humor, it is important to note that the author, Miska Rantanen, is the director of the Norra Haga Party Central Institute, which appears to be some kind of non-prophet (I cannot read Finnish). "He has spent fifty years researching the Finnish way of life" is all that his bio says. I trust him to write about his own culture.

Outside of enabling our base desires to be gross in solitude, this book does something that humorless self help books like Finding Sisu: In Search of Courage, Strength, and Happiness the Finnish Way do not--it advocates for people who are feeling stressed, dependent, or otherwise unwell to seek actual medical attention. It is almost like the author cares about mental health!

The book itself is beautiful. The illustrations are both beautiful and whimsical without distracting from the info graphs and photographs included. What is also awesome about this book is that it is littered with funny little testimonies. A personal favorite is from an individual identified as only "woman, 42, CEO".

"I joined the Social Democratic Party while päntsdrunk. I read the original party platform from 1903, cried a little, and then joined. I'm still a member." (page 163).

Anyone who knows me in my personal life can vouch for the fact that this kind of behavior is iconically me. Self help should be about growing as yourself, not becoming a drone or a knock off version of somebody else. Pantsdrunk enables this.

But what really is Päntsdrunk? It can't be as easy as just getting drunk naked and alone. That is answered as well.

The most accurate representation of pantsdrunk is, however, to be found in the Coen brothers' cult classic The Big Lebowski (1998). At 32 minutes, there's a scene where the protagonist, the Dude, is lying on the rug, listening to 1987 Venice Beach Bowling League playoffs on his Walkman after downing White Russians. Focus, bliss, contentment!" (page 78).

If the Dude abides, we should too.

[Roni Laukkarinen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kun minä olin vähän nuorempi, kalsarikännillä tarkoitettiin yksin tai kämppiksen tai puolison kanssa kännäämistä kotona vähissä vaatteissa. Asiaa ei määritelty sen enempiä, eikä alkoholin määrällä sinänsä ollut merkitystä.

Miska Rantasen teos Kalsarikänni määrittelee asiaa ehkä vähän liikaakin. Käsite on turhan glamorisoitu, sillä läpi käydään kaikki ruoka-, ja elokuvavalintoja myöten. Sivujen välissä on paljon kuvia ja random-tilastotietoja Suomesta. Vaikka kirjan idea onkin humoristinen ja se on kirjoitettu kieli puoleksi poskessa lojuten, hieman alkaa kyllästyttää puolivälin jälkeen.

Osa kirjasta on riemastuttavaa ja jopa ihan hauskaakin luettavaa, sellaista jota voisi silmäillä oluttölkki kädessä. Jos olisin ammattiloukkaantuja, saattaisin ajatella: MINUM kalsarikännejä ei kukaan toinen suomalainen määrittele, perkele. En kuitenkaan ole, joten totean: Ihan hyvä kevyt kirjanen.

Arvio julkaistu myös blogissani, kevyttälukemista.fi, pistä seurantaan Twitterissä ja Facebookissa jos pidit!

[Jake M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Beneath our clothes, we're all wearing underwear." (p .68) Ahh Pantsdrunk! - the art of decompressing with no pants alongside a modest amount of alcohol and sinful snacks! This is a lifestyle primer on a Finnish cultural practice that many of us do with being aware. There are pointers on when to get Pantsdrunk, when not to, what foods compliment the practice, and how it differs from other Scandinavian lifestyle practices such as Lagom (Swedish), and the Hygge (Danish). The topic is worth exploring, but a large chunk of the text is long-winded and meanders for the sake of fulfilling publication requirements. This topic would be better presented in a column or blog format. Look it up during your next Pantsdrunk session!

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ihan hauska idea tehdä parodiaa hygge- ja lagom-opuksista, mutta toteutus ei naurattanut. Ehkä en tunne niin hyvin good life meets national brand -skeneä, että olisin oikea ihminen arvostelemaan satiirin osuvuutta, mutta aika laiskalta tuntui, että "tutkimustulokset" ovat kirjoittajan fb-kamujen heittoja. Ja alkoholismille nauramisen muodot on aika haastava laji, siksi olisin ehkä itse vältellyt sitä lähestymistapaa kokonaan. Kiinnostavin osuus oli kielen ja kalsarikänni-sanan muutosta ja merkityksiä käsittelevä osa.

[Melindaaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Navzdory svému přirozenému odporu k literatuře tohoto typu mi Kalba ve spoďárech neskutečně sedla. Četla jsem útržky tu a tam před spaním a nakonec v županu na gauči druhou půlku na posezení. Nejen že teď vím, jak si efektivně vychladit pivo v jakékoli situaci, ale já si to upřímně hrozně užila. Jak je to ironické, jak se to naváží do fenoménu hygge a lagom a podobných zaručených receptů na štěstí, jejichž význam mi uniká. Zato Kalba ve spoďrech je recept na relax podle mého gusta. Jo a asi jsem začala mít love/hate vztah ke slovu spoďáry.

Nikoho těch 80 % nepřekvapuje víc, než mě.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fun. It's all about how to maximize your relaxation when you just want to stay home and watch TV in your underwear, calling itself a "precision strike into free time." It's all about maximizing your enjoyment, relieving stress and the pressure to be productive, and indulging in the things that actually sooth your soul and mind. The book itself is silly and indulgent and this makes me want to carve out time to get suitably pantsdrunk very, very soon.

[Maetco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kuten loppusanoissa todetaan, oli teos alkujaan suunniteltu lyhyeksi humoristiseksi oppaaksi ja sellaisena se varmaan olisi toiminutkin. Kirja muodossa (vaikka onkin lyhyt) kirja tuntui jatkuvasti jaarittelulta. Siinä oli muutama hyvä idea, mutta Miska Rantanen ei todellakaan osannut kirjoittaa niistä kokonaista kirjaa.